Sluice-box.



J. 0. WILSON 6: J. E. QUICK.

- SLUIGE BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 23, 1913.

1,085,516, Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. WILSON AND JOHN E. QUICK, OF COQUILLE, OREGON.

SLUICE-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2'7, 1914..

Application filed April 23, 1913. Serial No. 763,092.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN C. WILSON and JOHN E. QUIGK, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Coquille, in the county of Coos and State ofOregon, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sluice- Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to sluice boxes particularly designed foruse inseparating free gold and platinum from black sand and placer and gravel,the object of the invention being to provide a simple, efficient andinexpensive device of this character whereby both coarse and fineparticles of gold and platinum may be caught and retained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sluice box in .whichthe particles of metal will be securely held from escape and in whichthe separating screens are arranged in the form of drawers which arereadily removable from the box without interference from each other.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation of a sluice box constructed in accordance with the in vention.Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinalsection. Fig. 4c is a vertical transverse section. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of one of the duplex screens.

In carrying our invention into practice, we provide an oblongrectangular box or casing 1, which is preferably open at the bottom, topand ends, and provided at one side with a fixed wall 2. The frame of thebox includes corner posts 3 and longitudinal top bars 4 to which aresecured retaining strips 5 and a transverse stop bar 6. A guide trough 7rests and is adjustably mounted upon the bars 41 between the strips 5and is limited in movement in one direction by the stop bar 6. Thistrough includes side walls 8 and a connecting end wall 9, the latterhaving a reduced portion 10 fitting down between the bars 4: tocooperate with the strips 5 in holding the trough against lateraldisplacement. The trough is designed to receive and deflect the sand andwater down into the sluice box. A wall 11 is providedat the sideopposite the fixed wall 2, and is preferably in the form of a hingeddoor,

. adapted to be let down to a horizontal posiscreen frames rest uponsuitable strips or ledges 17, whereby they may be inserted and removedthrough the doorway when the door or letdown end wall 11 is opened. Thescreen members 14 and 15 are provided with top and bottom layers 18 and19 of screen material, while the screen 16 is provided with a singlebottom screen layer 20, and the frame of this screen 16 forms a finaltray or receptacle in which the finer particles of sand, gold andplatinum are confined and retained. The successive screen layers of thescreen sections 14,15 and 16 are of progressively increasing fineness ofmesh, so that the several screen layers will catch and re tain particlesof graduated sizes, as will be readily understood, in the screening ofthe sand passing downward through the sluice box, the sand beingagitated by the flowing water as in ordinary devices of this character.In order to permit removal of the particles caught by the lower screenlayers 19 of the screen members 14.- and 15, each of said layers isprovided with a free end portion 21, which is held against the screenframe and in closed position against the escape of the material, whenthe screen drawer is in position in the sluice box, by the weight of thescreen drawer upon the adjacent ledge 17. When the screen drawer isremoved, the free portion 21 of the layer 19 may be pulled down,allowing the gathered material to be shaken or washed out.

In the operation of the device, it will be understood that the sandpassing downward through the box, and washed and agitated by the flowingwater, will be separated, together with the free gold and platinumcarried thereby, according to the degrees of fineness thereof by therespective screens, the finest particles being caught in the lowerscreen section 16. After each operation, or at proper periods, the door11 may be opened and the interior screen sections removed in order toenable the metal to be gathered.

It will be understood, of course that the adjustable and removabletrough 7 permits of the distribution of the material across the screen13 as occasion may require, and of the removal of the screened materialfrom said screen 13 at desired intervals without interference, while themode of mounting the interior screens also permits of their independentremoval without interference from each other, the advantages of whichwill be appreciated.

We claim 1. In a device of the character described, a screen comprisinga rectangular frame hav ing an upper fixed screen iayer and a lowerscreen layer, the latter being provided with a free end portion.

2. In a device of the character described, a screen comprising arectangular frame, an upper screen section fixed at all points to saidframe, and a lower screen section fixed at all points except at one endto said frame, the loose ends of the lower screen section forming a flapaffording communication to the space between said screen sections.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence, of twoWitnesses.

. JOHN C. WVILSON.

JOHN E. QUICK. Witnesses: c

R. E. SMITH, M. E. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. r

